Many proposals have been made in the past regarding the use of relatively inexpensive corrugated board, instead of scarce and expensive wood, as a material for coffins. Corrugated board, however, over a long span has insufficient bending strength. Consequently it is necessary to resort to the use of a number of components which are overlapped with one another thereby to provide for an increase in strength. This complicates the assembly procedure but is an unavoidable expedient. A further problem which must be overcome is that of appearance. The coffin must not look as if it is of corrugated board. This means that the corrugated board must be printed to simulate wood or laminated to a sheet which is printed to simulate wood. Furthermore, as far as is possible, exposed cut edges of the board must be avoided as these clearly reveal the material that has been used. An example of a coffin comprising a number of corrugated cardboard components is found in British specification 1535188.
According to the present invention there is provided a coffin which is of corrugated board and which comprises a lid and a base, the base having a base wall comprising a base insert which extends the full length of the coffin, which is wider at a shoulder zone thereof and which tapers towards the ends thereof and a base wall panel which is adhered to the underside of the base insert, the base further including side walls each of which comprises a side panel having first and second panel parts with a vertically extending bend between them at said shoulder zone, and bottom flaps integral with said panel parts and joined thereto along right angled bends, said bottom flaps adhered to the underside of the base wall panel.
Because it is difficult accurately to cut corrugated board which has a long span, said base wall panel is preferably in three parts which are arranged end-to-end, each of the end parts including a first panel which is adhered to the underside of the base insert and a second panel which forms a coffin end wall, there being right angled bends between said first and second panels of each end part.
To provide for a stiff rim at each end of the base said panels forming said coffin end walls have strips joined thereto along pairs of parallel crease lines, said strips being folded over and adhered to the inner faces of said end walls.
Said bottom flaps cover substantially the entire area of said base wall panel thereby further enhancing the strength of the coffin.
The longitudinal, central joint line between the bottom flaps can be concealed by a longitudinally extending strip which is adhered to the bottom flaps.
To provide the maximum strength it is preferred that the corrugations of the base wall panel extend longitudinally and the corrugations of said bottom flaps and of the base insert extend transversely.
To strengthen the side walls, side wall inserts are adhered to the inner faces of said panel parts, there being strips along the upper edges of said panel parts which strips are folded over and adhered to the inner faces of said side wall inserts thereby to provide strong rims.
Said strips are preferably joined to said panel parts along pairs of parallel crease lines whereby, when the strips are folded, horizontal caps are formed which surmount said inserts
To provide the greatest strength the corrugations of said side wall inserts extend horizontally.
The lid desirably comprises two lid parts each of which includes a panel and margins folded over to lie beneath the panel, there being a lid insert beneath each panel, said margins being adhered to said lid inserts, and there being a transverse strip below said lid parts, the strip being adhered to said lid parts to join said lid parts to one another.
For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying in which: